THE THREE CANADIAN PIGS

Canuck jokes run amok in this hockey-themed twist on “The Three Little Pigs.”

After a rigorous practice, a trio of porcine players smile on the rink while a shady wolf in a denim outfit and trucker hat spies on them from the bushes. Cold and starving, the wolf claims the pigs for a meal, forcing them to flee for their lives over the frost-covered hills before seeking refuge in their CN Tower–inspired snow fort. Though he threatens to blow the house down and even brings in a pair of minions—a burly bear and moose—to help him, the wolf is unable to reach the pigs. The porky pals don’t take the assault of their home lightly, charging out and challenging Wolf and company to settle this beef the Canadian way—with a hockey game! Lessons about the importance of good sportsmanship and honoring the terms of competition are delivered clearly, intentionally, and in rhyming verse. There are a few places where the text and illustrations aren’t in sync—like when the pigs “[take] off on their blades” (the accompanying image shows them leaving on a snowmobile instead of ice skates)—but the emphasis on settling scores with competition instead of violence makes it a sweet, silly lesson for young athletes. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A humorous exploration of the value of playing fair.